Thursday, November 19, 2009

We are putting the blog on an indefinite hiatus. Currently there are two other great blogs covering the uranium issue in Southside and the Commonwealth pretty much exclusively and two other blogs that address the issues involved quite frequently. Thus it appears that much of what's done here will be duplicating others' efforts.

We appreciate your contributions, suggestions, and comments and, if need be, we will return in the future. Until then, we invite you to visit the following:

Friday, November 13, 2009

Staff with the National Research Council is continuing to try to determine how the agency will proceed with a possible uranium-mining study.

The National Research Council Governing Board’s Executive Committee met Tuesday in Washington to discuss the proposal for a study to determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in Virginia.

“Given the complexity with several institutions involved (Virginia Tech, the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission), our staff is continuing to work on how we will go about doing the study,” said Jennifer Walsh, spokeswoman for the National Academy of Sciences. “So far, our standard statement of task and approval process is not yet complete.”

The NRC is an arm of the NAS.

Walsh did not comment further when asked about details regarding the study and when the next executive committee meeting will be held.

Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham. VUI, through Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research, would pay for the study’s first phase focusing on the technical and public-safety aspects of mining.

That first phase would cost as much as $1.4 million. Virginia Tech’s Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research would handle the money and contract with the NAS for the study. The second part of the study, dealing with the socioeconomic aspects of mining, still needs to be developed by the Virginia Coal & Energy Commission. VUI would not fund the second part.

If the governing board approves the study request, the next step would be the NRC negotiating and entering into a contract with Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research. The board would then appoint a provisional committee of about a dozen scientific experts to perform the study and write its report.

The National Research Council's governing board wants more time to set up a proposed statewide scientific study on uranium mining.

The council's executive committee met Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., but delayed approving a contract for the study.

"Given the complexity with several institutions involved, our staff is continuing to work on how we will go about doing the study," said Jennifer Walsh, a spokesman for the National Research Council. "So, our standard statement of task and approval process is not yet complete."

The National Research Council, which includes the National Academy of Sciences, presented its recommendations for a study in May to the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy's Uranium Mining Subcommittee.

Commission Chairman Del. Terry Kilgore of Scott County still expects a contract with the National Academy of Sciences to be signed soon.

The study, which is expected to take about 18 months and cost an estimated $1.2 million, will be funded through Virginia Tech, with Virginia Uranium Inc. picking up the tab.

Virginia Uranium announced plans two years ago to explore mining uranium at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham.

Discovered in the early 1980s, the uranium deposit is one of the largest in the United States and is worth an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion.

Kilgore said the state also plans to conduct a study of the socioeconomic impact of uranium mining.

The second study, which will address the effects of uranium mining on businesses, schools and the community, will be conducted by another organization and funded separately, the chairman said.

In October, Danville Regional Foundation announced that it is considering funding a regional socioeconomic study of the impact of uranium mining and milling.

The foundation, formed in 2005 following the sale of Danville Regional Medical Center, has issued a request for qualifications for a proposed study from interested firms, non-profit organizations and academic programs.

According to president and chief executive officer Karl Stauber, the foundation hopes to sponsor an "independent and rigorous socioeconomic examination" of the effects of the proposed uranium mine, mill, and long-term waste management on the people and institutions, including the economy, of its service region.

The foundation, which has $165 million in assets, serves Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C.

"We're not taking a pro-mining position and we're not taking an anti-mining position," said Stauber. "We're taking a position that the people of this region need to understand the implications of uranium mining."

According to Stauber, the foundation's regional study will not take the place of a broader state study on the socioeconomic impact of uranium mining.

It's beyond me how anyone could consider this an ideal place for a uranium mine/mill. Where do the Coles Hill mining folks hang out during weather like this that they can continue to state that a mine and mill would not pose a threat? Haven't they even looked out the window over the last couple of days??

By John CraneDanville Register & Bee Published: November 12, 2009

Persistent rains prompted Pittsylvania County officials to declare a state of emergency in the county Thursday.

“The county of Pittsylvania is facing serious hazards with the amount of downed trees, power lines and potential of flooding due to (rains),” said County Emergency Services Coordinator Jim Davis and County Administrator Dan Sleeper — who’s also deputy director of emergency management — in a statement Thursday. “Due to these hazards, a condition of extreme peril of life and property now exists throughout (the) county.”

Davis later said the declaration was issued as a precautionary measure and he knew of no weather-related emergency situations.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen with the river rising like it is,” Davis said. “… At this point, we’ve not had any type life-threatening emergencies,” he said Thursday.

If the county has to spend money not appropriated for disasters as a result of conditions, Pittsylvania could be reimbursed by the state, he added.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine declared a state of emergency for the commonwealth Wednesday due to high waters and flooding.

There were 26 reported road closures in Pittsylvania County on Thursday evening due to flooding and high waters, said Randy Hamilton, residency administrator for the Virginia Department of Transportation in Chatham.

Paula Jones, VDOT spokeswoman, said the roads that had high waters were ones that typically flood during extended rainfalls. Jones advised drivers to proceed with caution, especially since water can cause hydroplaning and wet leaves can add to already slick conditions.

Also, just a few inches of moving water on a road or street can pose danger to vehicles, Jones said. The rushing water can also hide pot holes and shifted culverts. Wind gusts and wet, loosened soil can cause trees to fall, presenting more hazards for drivers.

In other areas, water levels exceeded full pond at Smith Mountain Lake, and Appalachian Power increased its discharge from Leesville Dam into the Staunton River to create more storage volume in the lower reservoir, according to a news release from Appalachian Power.

In addition, the town of Mayodan, N.C., had a discharge of about 82,000 gallons of untreated water and rain water at two areas off Main Street and 9th Avenue. About eight inches of rainfall in two days caused the overflow which entered the Mayo River, a tributary of the Dan River, according to a press release from the town.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Notice the closure of Coles Road, both north and south. Some of you are also familiar with the areas where historic Marline Uranium leases were held around Cascade and the Berry Hill area. Please note the flooded, closed roads in that area of the county. If mining occurs there, the Dan River carries the contamination.Rather sobering, isn't it?

Right now, Virginians don't have to worry about radioactive flood waters or contamination from such waters in the rivers, streams, lakes, etc. Mine Coles Hill and the whole picture becomes a lot more dangerous and frightening.

River Flood Warning until 6:13 am EST, Sat., Nov. 14, 2009

Issued by The National Weather Service

Roanoke/Blacksburg, VA

3:10 pm EST, Thu., Nov. 12, 2009

THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE DAN RIVER NEAR DANVILLE. * UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING.

* AT 01PM THURSDAY THE STAGE WAS 23.3 FEET.

* MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.

* FLOOD STAGE IS 17.0 FEET.

* THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 26.4 FEET BY AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE TOMORROW EVENING.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Oh, yeah...this is the perfect place for a uranium mine and mill. How many times a year is PittCo under some sort of bad weather alert...wind advisories, flash flood warnings, etc? Way too often for anyone to honestly claim that a huge radioactive sand-pile would be safe here.

EXPECT NORTH TO NORTHEAST WIND AT 15 TO 30 MPH... WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH POSSIBLE. BECAUSE OF THE WET SOIL CONDITIONS... THESE WINDS WILL LIKELY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DOWN MORE TREES... AND POSSIBLY CAUSE POWER OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS WILL BE HIGH ENOUGH COMBINED WITH WET SOILS TO DOWN SOME TREES. USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING AS THESE GUSTS COULD DOWN LIMBS AND TREES ALONG HIGHWAYS.

More Information

... STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT...

.DEEP LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS WILL REMAIN IN THE REGION OVERNIGHT. AS A RESULT... WINDS WILL GUST TO 40 TO 45 MPH AT TIMES THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

GALLUP– Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with four other federal agencies, the Navajo Nation, congressional staff, academia, state, tribal and local government representatives, community members and nongovernment organizations are meeting to discuss the progress of the five-year plan to address uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation. The five-year plan, requested by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is the first comprehensive strategy to address uranium-related contamination issues throughout the Navajo Nation, which spans three states and is roughly the size of West Virginia.

The conference is being held at the Gallup Inn 2915 W. Historic Highway 66 in New Mexico, and runs through Thursday, November 8. Members of the media are welcome to attend. To receive a copy of the agenda and to RSVP, please contact Margot Perez-Sullivan, perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov or 415.990.1176.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Oh...corrosion and old plumbing cause elevated lead levels in water even when uranium mining is closeby. Epic fail, EPA.

The Environmental Protection Agency offered guidelines for water well management in response to a Pittsylvania County inquiry into elevated lead levels near where a uranium company conducted exploratory drilling.

County Administrator William Sleeper said he sent a letter to the EPA back in April to ask what could be done about lead levels in wells and its role in regulation. The agency responded on Oct. 26.

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors asked both the EPA and the Virginia Department of Health to investigate lead levels after Sheva resident Allen Gross said that a well water sample showed more than the maximum safe level of lead in drinking water, according to past Danville Register & Bee reports. Testing showed a rise in lead levels compared to past samples. Gross lives about a mile from Coles Hill, where Virginia Uranium Inc. conducted exploratory drilling.

The state health department tested the well water in the area, and found safe lead levels. The department determined the source of the lead is not the source water, according to past reports.

The EPA does not regulate domestic water wells, but offers guidance on management:

• The agency recommends all private well owners have their well tested once a year for coliform bacteria, nitrates and other contaminants.

• Naturally occurring radioactivity can be treated with reverse osmosis.

• Lead is rarely found in source water, but enters tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials. The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated faucets and fixtures that can leach lead into the water.

Folks, your election is tomorrow. The future of Virginia is in the balance in a way it never has. McDonnell has said he favors uranium mining. At least Deeds is willing to hold off an opinion until more is known about the dangers. The safety and beauty of the Commonwealth cannot be a loose gamble...uranium is forever.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

As a candidate for governor, I’ve laid out a comprehensive plan to meet our future energy needs and reduce Virginia ’s dependence on foreign oil. This means pursuing a range of alternative and renewable energy options, ranging from wind power to clean coal technology to nuclear power. Investments in alternative and renewable energy will create jobs, attract the best and brightest minds to Virginia , and lead to a brighter future for the Commonwealth.

Right now we have a moratorium in Virginia on mining uranium, the fuel used in nuclear power plants. While I believe nuclear power should be part of a comprehensive approach to energy here in the commonwealth, I also strongly believe that the moratorium on uranium mining should remain in place until scientists determine that uranium mining does not pose a risk to the health and safety of any Virginian.

The climate of Southside Virginia poses particular challenges to the safe mining of uranium. Because it often rains, there is a risk that radioactive material produced by uranium mining and processing could leach into groundwater. If such leaching occurred, it could contaminate water supplies and endanger Virginians all over Southside, from Danville to Virginia Beach . I will not let this happen on my watch as governor.

Before considering uranium mining and processing here in Virginia , we should await the results of a nonpartisan, scientific study on its potential risks. As important as alternative energy sources are to our future, protecting the health and safety of all Virginians must remain our paramount concern.

As your governor, I will ensure that our energy future is not only plentiful and clean, but also safe for all Virginians.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Use the link at the end to go to the site and listen to the audio. We know that not enough has changed with U mining to expect anything much different for the children of Virginia. Tragic.

Fri, 10/30/2009 - 13:58

Length: 5:04 minutes (4.63 MB)

Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

In the 1940s, the U.S. government and private companies began mining uranium on tribal lands in the Southwest. The industry went on to develop atomic weapons for World War II and the cold war in the decades to come. In the 1980s, with the draw down of cold war tensions, the uranium industry abandoned thousands of mines in the region. It also left a deadly legacy of contamination.

This week the US Senate approved a resolution designating today, October 30th, as a national day of remembrance for the half-million uranium workers in the country. But the Navajo, Pueblo and other Native American people in the Southwest are still fighting to recover.

We’re joined by Anna Rondon. She’s Navajo and the coordinator of the Southwest Indigenous Uranium Forum. The group has been organizing around the issue for more than 20 years and just wrapped up a forum on uranium and the nuclear chain last weekend.

WASHINGTON - October 29 - Earlier this week the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the nuclear power industry's principal trade organization, released a proposal asking for billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies and radical changes to the federal regulatory process that would shift even more risks and costs from the industry to the public.

The industry's first priority is to get a minimum of $100 billion in new federal loan guarantees on top of the $110 billion in loan guarantees already authorized by Congress. That would total nearly one third of the taxpayer bailout money the government gave Wall Street a little more than a year ago. At the heart of NEI's proposal is the implicit admission that the industry cannot compete in the private sector market without massive financial support from taxpayers and reduced liability for cost overruns and safety hazards.

"NEI essentially is saying the industry can't be competitive without massive new federal subsidies and tax breaks," said Ellen Vancko, UCS nuclear energy and climate change project manager. "It is truly staggering that an industry this big and this mature can claim to need so much government help to survive and thrive in a world in which technologies that don't emit global warming pollution will benefit."

One of the nuclear industry's top priorities is the establishment of a federal clean energy "bank," called the Clean Energy Deployment Administration (CEDA), which NEI considers to be a "permanent financing platform" for nuclear reactor construction.

Both the House and Senate versions of energy and climate legislation include a CEDA provision. NEI favors the Senate version because it would: exempt CEDA from the Federal Credit Reform Act (FCRA), removing any limits on the amount of federal loan guarantees that could be issued for new nuclear reactors by bypassing the congressional appropriations process; not restrict the amount of financial assistance that could be given to any one technology; and not require applicants to compete on the basis of reducing carbon at the lowest cost. These three key provisions in the House version of CEDA-which are missing from the Senate version-would allow most of the financial assistance to go to the nuclear industry instead of to a diverse portfolio of least-cost clean energy investments such as renewable resources and energy efficiency.

A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office (pdf) (CBO) found that without adequate taxpayer protections and strict government oversight, CEDA could allow a few risky, capital intensive industries such as nuclear power and coal-to-liquids run away with the bank. The CBO estimated that, "in the absence of any statutory limits, [the Department of Energy] would guarantee an additional $100 billion in loans for nuclear power projects over the next 10 years and close to another $30 billion in loans for fossil and other large capital projects." The CBO's analysis focused on pending loan applications and did not attempt to estimate the number of additional applications that would be filed if the program is modified and expanded.

The nuclear energy industry sees CEDA as its own personal federal financing mechanism, which is at odds with the expressed intent of the program. The bank is supposed to promote domestic development and deployment of a range of "innovative" clean energy technologies that would otherwise not have access to low-cost financing.

"This program was designed to spur innovation so we can benefit from the next big breakthrough in clean energy technologies," Vancko said. "There is nothing innovative about 50-year-old industry with a long record of massive cost overruns and plant cancellations."

In addition to virtually unlimited federal loan guarantees, NEI is asking for $3 billion to cover cost overruns and construction delays and an extension of the production tax credit through the end of 2024 (compared with 2012 for wind energy and 2013 for other renewable technologies), which could give the industry as much as $10 billion in new tax breaks. NEI alternately proposes to convert the production tax credit to an up-front investment tax credit of 30 percent for investments in new nuclear reactors or upgrades to existing reactors that could provide the industry with a $20 billion windfall. NEI further proposes expanding the manufacturing investment tax credit from $2.3 billion to $5 billion to benefit nuclear component manufacturers. And the trade association wants to see changes to the IRS tax code to help some companies write off payments to nuclear decommissioning funds more quickly.

"If the nuclear industry gets its way, Christmas will come early this year-thanks to U.S. taxpayers," Vancko said.

As alarming are NEI's proposed shortcuts to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) new reactor licensing process. The industry, for example, wants to limit the NRC's ability to verify that a new reactor was built in strict accordance with its license before it starts operating. NEI also proposes restricting the public's right to raise reactor construction safety issues by requiring the NRC to use "informal" procedures in public hearings on such issues.

"Before the NRC gives the green light to a new nuclear plant to start up, it needs the authority to ensure that each and every part of the plant will function exactly as it was intended to function," said UCS Senior Staff Scientist Edwin Lyman. "NEI's proposal could jeopardize public safety by barring the NRC from double-checking earlier findings, which could prove crucial with such a large, complex construction project as a nuclear power plant."

Dr. Lyman acknowledged that NEI offered a positive suggestion regarding nuclear security, specifically its request that Congress clarify the respective roles of the NRC and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding protecting commercial nuclear plants from terrorist attacks. However, UCS maintains that private industry should assume far more responsibility for defending nuclear plants than NRC currently requires, while NEI recommends that federal, state and local law enforcement agencies take on a greater burden, which would represent yet another substantial taxpayer subsidy.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The National Research Council governing board’s executive committee will meet next month to discuss the study that would determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in Virginia.

The meeting will take place Nov. 10 in Washington and will be closed to the public, said Jennifer Walsh, spokeswoman for the National Academy of Sciences.

Walsh said she does not know if the committee will decide during next month’s meeting whether to approve the study.

Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham. VUI, through Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research, would pay for the study’s first phase focusing on the technical and public-safety aspects of mining.

That first phase would cost as much as $1.4 million. Virginia Tech’s Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research would handle the money and contract with the NAS for the study. The second part of the study, dealing with the socioeconomic aspects of mining, still needs to be developed by the Virginia Coal & Energy Commission. VUI would not fund the second part.

If the governing board approves the study request, the next step would be the NRC negotiating and entering into a contract with Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research. The board would then appoint a provisional committee of about a dozen scientific experts to perform the study and write its report.

There will be public comment regarding the makeup of the committee, William Kearney, NRC spokesman, said last month.

We’re once again grateful to Areva’s North America blog for pointing us towards yet another piece of nuclear hype, spin and propaganda. This time it comes from Jim Prentice, Canada’s Minister for the Environment.

Nuclear will play a key role in our clean energy strategy. And the reality is: nuclear is non-emitting.

Let’s be blunt here. This isn’t just misleading. This isn’t just misinformation. This is a lie.

Nuclear energy is not clean energy. One need only look at the environmental destruction caused by uranium mining. In his book ‘Wollaston: People Resisting Genocide’, Miles Goldstick details the damage brought to the lives of the people living around the uranium mines in Canada’s Saskatchewan province. The accumulation of radioactive isotopes in edible plants. The lead, arsenic, uranium and radium found downstream from the mines. The spills that J.A. Keily, then Vice President of Production and Engineering for Gulf Minerals Rabbit Lake, described in 1980 as ‘probably too numerous to count’.

May we remind you that Jim Prentice is Canada’s Minister for the Environment?

This is, unfortunately, a deception that the whole nuclear industry wants you to believe. A child could see through it and yet the industry and its supporters persist. When the US’s EPA - that’s the Environmental Protection Agency – is filing nuclear energy under ‘clean’ energy, you know how far this deception has spread. Look again what EPA stands (or is supposed to stand) for. You begin to wonder it these people think you’re a moron.

The nuclear industry does not want you to look at where uranium comes from or where it goes to afterwards. To do so would destroy the myths that have supported it this long. ‘Look, our hands are clean,’ it says, while trying to hide its dirty fingers.

As a member of Danville City Council, Danny Marshall supported a then-revolutionary plan to get Danville and Pittsylvania County to work together on economic development projects. As a member of the House of Delegates, Marshall applauded as Yorktowne Cabinetry announced its intentions to open a new factory here, building in the city-county industrial park that Marshall and others worked to make a reality.

The recession has battered companies around the country, including Yorktowne Cabinetry. But some laid off Yorktowne workers learned that their unemployment benefit checks were reduced because of a mistake made by a Virginia Employment Commission bureaucrat.

Marshall knew that was wrong. He knew working people don’t know how much they’re supposed to receive in jobless benefits, and they certainly couldn’t afford to have those benefits cut because of a bureaucratic error. Thanks to Marshall’s efforts, the “overpaid” jobless benefits have been turned into a loan.

It’s a short-term fix to a problem that may be more widespread than anyone knows. But it’s also an example of the kind of solutions-focused delegate the residents of the 14th District are lucky to have representing them in Richmond.

That’s one reason we strongly endorse Danny Marshall for re-election this year.

Marshall not only went to bat for his constituents on the unemployment benefits issue, he also went against the wishes of his party when he fought for expanded jobless benefits paid with federal stimulus dollars. It wasn’t the first time Marshall defied the party bosses — and stood with the people of the 14th District.

As a member of the Tobacco Commission, Marshall supported a grant-funded early childhood education initiative. If that program produces results, it’s a good bet that Marshall — who is the retired owner of a local business — will fight to expand it and similar programs statewide. Marshall knows all too well the importance of increasing the level of educational attainment in this community.

Marshall has also worked to educate himself on an issue that may reach a boiling point in the next two years — uranium mining and milling. He echoes many of the same concerns that others in this community share about the project. But in typical Marshall fashion, he brings fresh perspective — who else has mentioned that the need for a uranium mine in Pittsylvania County could be mitigated by the uranium derived from decommissioned nuclear weapons? (emphasis mine...SB)

Marshall’s easygoing manner and ready smile makes it easy for his critics to dismiss this man of accomplishment and passion, but make no mistake about it — Marshall has worked hard for this community at a time when hard work was all that prevented economic disaster from turning into calamity.

On Tuesday, the voters of the 14th District should send Marshall a message that they are willing to work as hard for him as he has been working for them.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

You really need to read this. There are lots of pictures and graphs...it's not a difficult read. But it sure is an interesting one. Everything is falling into place just like dominoes, for Santoy/VERI, VUI, Va Tech, and all investors. There's plenty of space for tailings and a uranium mill. Tech is offering all sorts of student work experiences. It's amazing, actually, to read just how well, and how quickly, things are moving toward mining. It's as though nothing can possibly get in the way. We are fighting a HUGE machine here...one that's well-organized, well-oiled, and well-funded. When will the rest of the state wake up? It's imperative that Southside have the rest of the Commonwealth behind it in this fight. It's enormity has never been better presented than it is here:

If Ben Davenport and Chatham Town Council are so concerned about the appearance of Chatham and how it is perceived by visitors to the town, it seems only logical that they would be more concerned about the potential uranium mine and mill that Virginia Uranium Inc. and its Canadian partners are planning rather than getting themselves into a sweat over a couple of dilapidated buildings.

It seems odd that Mr. Davenport, the driving force behind this "eyesore" cleanup campaign, has to this point remained completely silent about the issue of uranium mining and milling, and yet he describes an abandoned building as "a real shame."

The real shame will occur when the blasting begins at Coles Hill and Chatham becomes known as the most radioactive place on the East Coast.

It is also telling that Virginia Tech would be willing to provide "planning support" for the sanitizing of Chatham when they are at the same time planning massive support for VUI's toxic adventure which will take place a mere six miles from the center of town.

If the town cannot afford to remove an old mobile home from Whitehead Street, how do they think they will be able to pay for cleaning up 30 or 40 years of a uranium mine spewing poison onto its streets and rooftops?

They can plant all the flowerbeds they want, but if uranium mining becomes a reality for Pittsylvania County, all the flowers in the world will not attract anyone to Chatham, with the exception of the unemployed uranium miners from other states who will descend on the town.

Rather than panicking about the mouse running across the floor, Davenport and the town council would be wiser to make a plan about the thousand-pound gorilla sitting in the room with them.

The National Research Council governing board’s executive committee will meet next month to discuss the study that would determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in Virginia.

The meeting will take place Nov. 10 in Washington and will be closed to the public, said Jennifer Walsh, spokeswoman for the National Academy of Sciences.

Walsh said she does not know if the committee will decide during next month’s meeting whether to approve the study.

Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham. VUI, through Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research, would pay for the study’s first phase focusing on the technical and public-safety aspects of mining.

That first phase would cost as much as $1.4 million. Virginia Tech’s Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research would handle the money and contract with the NAS for the study. The second part of the study, dealing with the socioeconomic aspects of mining, still needs to be developed by the Virginia Coal & Energy Commission. VUI would not fund the second part.

If the governing board approves the study request, the next step would be the NRC negotiating and entering into a contract with Virginia Tech’s Center for Coal and Energy Research. The board would then appoint a provisional committee of about a dozen scientific experts to perform the study and write its report.

There will be public comment regarding the makeup of the committee, William Kearney, NRC spokesman, said last month.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Besides his father Henry's money and the promise of uranium mining, we do not believe Robert Hurt would bring much to Southside or Virginia. We here at the blog support Tom Perriello because he's demonstrated that he is vitally interested in his constituents and the issues important to them, even in the areas he didn't carry in the previous election. Plus, and this is a big plus, he is not a shill for the uranium mining industry that begs to destroy Virginia, beginning with Hurt's home district, Southside. His daddy's investment in the mining endeavor at Coles Hill puts VUI and Coles money behind Robert Hurt but that's all the more reason to stick with Perriello who is not in favor of mining Virginia.

By Published by The Editorial Board Published: October 18, 2009

Republicans in the Fifth District are going to have plenty of choices when they pick a candidate for the 2010 race against Rep. Tom Perriello.

The Virginia General Assembly drew the Fifth District for a Republican, and the GOP has wanted the seat back ever since the State Board of Elections confirmed that Perriello had squeaked out a 727-vote win over Virgil Goode last fall.

The conventional wisdom is that Perriello’s win was a fluke, but John McCain and Sarah Palin won more votes in the Fifth District than Goode did. For that matter, Goode didn’t do as well as the Virginia marriage amendment in 2006.

So, Goode may have been slipping and no one noticed.

To Perriello’s credit, he has voted against the president’s first budget, come out against a new assault weapons ban, worked hard on veterans care issues and publicly declared that he would not vote for public funding of abortion in a health care reform bill — all stances that show is he far from the Nancy Pelosi lapdog that his harshest critics claim he is.

The Republicans who want to beat Perriello know he is a tough campaigner and that the political landscape may be completely different next year. No one can say how strong the economy will be or if Americans will like the final health care reform bill that emerges from Congress.

Robert Hurt, of Chatham, has jumped into this tumultuous political environment, recently announcing his intention to run for the Fifth District seat. For most of us, the 2010 election is a long way off. For the GOP, it’s right around the corner.

Hurt has solid conservative credentials and has sponsored common sense legislation in the General Assembly dealing with criminal justice issues. He is a smart, personable candidate and will no doubt work hard if he gets the nomination.

But Hurt has never had to run against anyone like Perriello. When Hurt speaks, he sometimes sounds more like a lawyer instead of a man who happens to practice law. His father Henry’s involvement with Virginia Uranium Inc. could backfire on him, as could his handling of his dog biting someone in Chatham.

That may sound trivial, but in politics, everything is fair game.

Just as Republicans are motivated to unseat Perriello, Democrats want to hold onto the Fifth District seat, so no matter who the GOP picks next year, expect a lot of out-of-town money and national attention on this race.

We don’t know what kind of candidate the GOP is looking for, so there is no way to know what chance Hurt has to win the nomination. If we thought the Republicans wanted a candidate from the Dan River Region, Hurt would probably be a shoe-in. But all we know for sure is both sides want to win, no matter what.